Google Fiber's blazingly fast gigabit Internet speeds will come to Provo, Utah, later this year, Google and the city announced today.

Although Provo is already wired for fiber, Google Fiber general manager Kevin Lo said at the press conference revealing the partnership that the company will need to upgrade the current fiber network, which has seen several owners since it was built in 2004.

Google Fiber will bring "free basic broadband service for every Provo resident for at least seven years, and free gigabit connectivity for hospitals and schools," he said.

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Utah Gov. Gary Herbert was enthusiastic for the Google take-over of iProvo. "Provo will be one of the first cities in the world that access to basic broadband will flow like water or electricity. It will be everywhere, and I think that's pretty cool," he said.

"No doubt, this journey needs a partner like Google Fiber," said Provo Mayor John Curtis.

Assuming the Provo City Council approves the deal that Curtis orchestrated, Google is promising free 5 Mbps to every home on the existing iProvo network for a $30 activation fee and no monthly charge for seven years. Google Fiber's Gigabit Internet service, which the company says can be up to 100 times faster than current broadband speeds, and Google Fiber TV, will be available for an additional, undisclosed fee. Google plans to provide Gigabit Internet service for free to 25 local public institutions such as hospitals, libraries, and schools.

Provo's citizens were cool to adopt the previous fiber service, with peak usage hitting around 10,000 people in 2008. Google wants to have the entire city of around 112,000 people connected, and Lo said that Google expects to start getting residents online with its service later this year.

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Senior writer Seth Rosenblatt covered Google and security for CNET News, with occasional forays into tech and pop culture. Formerly a CNET Reviews senior editor for software, he has written about nearly every category of software and app available.
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